Culture as accent: The cultural logic of hijabistas

Abstract

AbstractThis paper shows how we manufacture authenticity by blending a variety of semiotic resources, some of which are sufficient (“enough”) to produce a particular targeted authentic identity, and consequently enable others to identify us as “authentic” members of social groups within different “micro-hegemonies.” In contexts of rapid sociocultural change (for instance in the case of migration in the present-day superdiverse conjuncture), we can expect enoughness to gain increasing importance as a critical tool for identity work. We propose the framework outlined here will enable us to engage with the complexities of contemporary identity practices and the complex field of authenticity.